Crisp and refreshing. Complex but smooth. Fruity and delicious. Brewing kombucha is an art and Katalyst Kombucha has tapped into the next wave of flavor by mastering consistency and focusing on accessibility. Katalyst was one of the first kombucha brewers to start selling commercially, from right here in the Valley, and the company has recently made strides towards solidifying their future in this blooming industry.
If you’re unfamiliar with this artisanal, non-alcoholic brew, Kombucha is a fermented sweet tea drink with roots going back hundreds, if not thousands, of years. It’s packed with antioxidants, probiotics, and polyphenols. It all begins with a large batch brewing of high quality green or black tea. Then the fermentation process begins with adding a literal catalyst, a “starter” known in the industry as a Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast, or SCOBY. This natural process transforms the original sugar content while generating amino acids, and through this alchemy building its complex flavor profile. Many people will tout the potential health benefits as the major selling point for sipping on kombucha, and they aren’t wrong to think that way, but for others it’s the unique flavor profile that keeps them coming back. The brew can be as wild as you let it get, but commercial production hones in on reproducible flavors and finding a way for consistency and balance to turn the complex beverage into an approachable 12 oz product.
Katalyst Kombucha has been brewing this effervescent beverage for 20 years. In the early 2000s Will Savitri, their original founder, was living at the Sirius Community in Shutesbury. It was there that he first began home-brewing batches using a SCOBY he’d acquired from a connection in Asheville, North Carolina. Massively popular amongst his home Community, it soon became evident that brewing his elixir as a product for retail venues might just make for a viable commercial venture.
It was a direct result of these efforts that Katalyst was born in 2005. By 2008 the tiny company was renting space from the Franklin County Community Development Corporation to ferment their brews. As production and packaging operations expanded, they were able to court their first distributor. Through ongoing development and consistency of execution, the Katalyst label can today be found on shelves throughout the Northeastern United States.
Katalyst Kombucha was also one of the founding members of Kombucha Brewers International. An industry staple since their inception, they have continued to thrive as recent years have seen a huge increase in demand for their product. These days, operations are overseen by Production Manager Dave Keramaty. Having started with the company back in 2011, Dave got to witness firsthand the evolution of their packaging from kegs and bottles forward into a brand new system of canning in 2019. When the global pandemic hit in 2020, it was really the canning initiative and the support of the Payroll Protection Program loans that ensured that Katalyst Kombucha would be able to keep their employees working and their product flowing
These days, the gang at Katalyst Kombucha has found a new home under the umbrella of Amherst Brewing and the Hangar Pub and Grill family. It’s been a fortuitous turn of events, allowing Dave Kermaty and his crew access to not only a shiny new canning line, but all of the established resources garnered by another locally esteemed powerhouse.
Not least amongst these resources is direct access to Caleb Hiliadis, Director of Brewing Operations for Amherst Brewing. Having previously overseen operations for the venerable brewery, he now has the honor of doing the same for Katalyst Kombucha and their sister label Ginger Libation, as well.
Left: Caleb Hiliadis, Director of Brewing Operations for Amherst Brewing
Right: Dave Keramaty, Production Manager for Katalyst Kombucha
Prior to Amherst Brewing’s involvement, Katalyst had brewed all of their kombucha in ten-gallon clay pickle crocks.
At the time that they joined forces with Amherst Brewing, their increased production meant they were brewing in more than 400 of these specialized casks. Under Amherst Brewing’s guidance, this labor-intensive process was moved into 250-gallon steel tanks. Every brewed batch still starts in the signature clay crocks to establish its unique, authentic taste. Finishing the product in these larger, modernized tanks ensures a reliable consistency of product and a huge reduction in labor expense. It’s the best of both worlds, and an efficiency that allows Dave Keramaty more time to focus on creative expansion and the ongoing perfecting of their already stellar product.
Katalyst Kombucha is looking ahead to the future. With this recent merger came new energy and knowledge, new tanks, new procedures, and the time-saving canning line. With a solid product and tested systems in place they are set to assess the next steps forward. Recently they started working with new distributors like the Performance Food Group (PFG), attending the PFG Food Show to talk with bars and restaurants just a few weeks ago. While the market for beverage alcohol may have plateaued, or even begun a decline in some areas, the market for alternative, non-alcoholic beverages like kombucha continues to grow. It’s no wonder, when the versatility of this carefully fermented drink can be enjoyed equally on its own, or as a sophisticated mixer in cocktails or alcohol-free mocktails alike.
With a foundation established by twenty years of producing quality products in a growing industry, Katalyst Kombucha has broken through into a commercial market that was primed for their presence. With the new resources and capabilities brought about by their newfound association with Amherst Brewing, you can count on Dave and Caleb continuing to push this local hero to be the best company they can be, producing some of the best kombucha around. Katalyst Kombucha are proud to be key players in an exciting and growing market, but at the end of the day, the brew speaks for itself.
You can find their product on our shelves in the new grab-and-go cooler, and find a link to their website below:
